A-A-Adorable

 

"J is for Jaguar" *rawr*

New year promises of more cute art projects for the 2nd graders!

Birthday Suits Me

I could not (and would not) have a planned a more poetic way to spend my 25th birthday but in my birthday suit at a jjimjibang, or Korean-style spa. There was something quite liberating about it -- somewhere between bath time with my sister when we were kids and skinny-dipping at the lake with friends. 

Jjimjibangs are public bath houses where yes, you strip down to the nude and enjoy the hot-water baths, cold-water baths, saunas, massages, body scrubs, and more. Open 24 hours, it's a great cheap alternative to a hotel or hostel, costing around 12,000won (less than $12) for an overnight stay. Leaving your shoes behind in the shoe lockers, you get a wrist-band key for a locker that also acts as a credit card of sorts inside the facility, a pair of pajamas, and two hand towels. The changing rooms and public bath area is gender specific and at Dragon Hill Spa, one of the famed jjimjibangs in Seoul, the entrances are in separate areas of the building (to avoid a terrible, terrible mix up).

stack o' pajamas

I had brought my swim suit I suppose with the intention of wearing it. Even the threat of an ahhgumma yelling at me for not being naked didn't phase me. But once I got into the environment, I was just like, whatever. When in a jjimjibang, it's not weird. Dragon Hill had around six different hot tub pools, all held at different temperatures and some with massaging jets, two saunas, and the body scrubs I had heard about in America. Scrubbed pink with my dead skin all around me, my skin has never been softer (except perhaps on my actual birth-day).

After the baths, we got dressed in our pajamas and headed to the main area, where we could hang out with our guy friends. Jjimjibangs are a culture of their own -- complete with snack stands, small shops, yoga classes, an arcade, a fitness center, an outdoor heated pool, and a floor labelled on the elevator as "horse riding." I'm not sure if that was a "bad" translation, if there were actual horses on that floor, or if "horse riding" is something else (I have a feeling I'm missing a joke here haha).

The designated sleeping areas at Dragon Hill were all three: "women only," "men only," and co-ed. Bringing a small pillow (NECK PILLOW YAY!) is encouraged, and if you're lucky, you can snag a sleeping mat and/or blanket. One of my friends and I chose a co-ed sleeping room because it was a bit more airy than the others we had scoped out. We grabbed a spot on the heated floor and said our good nights. Probably one of the strangest experiences I've had yet in Korea was waking up next to a Korean man. Good times, good times lol.

That was the end of my birthday night. We started out with tacos & makgeolitas!

Me & Ashley
with our makgeolitas & beanies!

I had been craving so called "urban tacos" since my first visit to Itaewon in October, so for my birthday, we hit up the cool Vatos Tacos, Sinsa location. Great atmosphere, great staff, and great food fusions, including kimchi fries, galbi & baja fish tacos, nutella nachos, and the ever important makgeolita -- a mix between the popular, fermented, and alcoholic Korean rice drink called makgeolli 막걸리 and a margarita -- mango (delicious) was the flavor I got; I was very happy about it. And for ordering the makgeolitas, free beanies!!! 

Birthday shopping, birthday tacos, birthday alcohol, birthday GIANT barrel of beer, birthday fruit platter, birthday body scrub, and birthday waking up next to a Korean man. Perfect 25th birthday!!

Millie Bodger

Our family dog Bodger died on a Tuesday. She's dead and is never coming back because she can't come back. She's gone. I'm incredibly sad, heartbroken.

Her full name was Millie Bodger. She, among all the things a good dog does for a family, inspired the term "bodging for apples." Searching for something by way of intuition, smell, and curiosity. 

Millie Bodger {2008 - 2013}

The things I love about Korea

You may have heard that I wear winter extremely well. Scarves, hats, mittens, and yes, folks, I bought my first pair of leg warmers. I know, I know; you'll just have to get over how adorable this '80's baby looks. I love that Korea has put me in a situation at work that I can really wear my winter gear to its fullest. I love winter and now I am able to enjoy its chill inside and out. The cold allows me to enjoy the warm moments -- the warm copies from the copier machine, the warmth of having thirty-some bodies in a classroom, hot soup at lunch, and boiling water from the water cooler for my afternoon cup of joe. The sun, too. It's all very primal. I love it. 

Slippers, school lunch forever, and snacks. I adore the slippers my students wear. I can't help but feel how awesome a school full of kids, running around in slippers, is. It's a comforting culture, trading outdoor for inside shoes. One my fourth grade students has this pair -- monkey faces. They crack me up; I can't help but like him the best because of those slippers. So darn cute. And the slippers extend to teachers as well. It thrills me, wearing slippers at work. This absolutely trumps the joy I felt when I would slip on my crocs for work at the bagel shop (BIG deal). 

I'm still in a love affair with school lunch, because, sometimes, it's what gets me through a rough morning of teaching excitable monsters. It's about more than eating food; it's about nourishment. Factor in the school being so cold, it is about survival, feeding the body and soul. Soul food. Spontaneous pizza. Yesterday I was called down to the teachers' room for Domino's pizza. Snacks are the best at school because I get to try new foods (rice cakes, fruit I've never heard of) but also because of spontaneous pizza, oranges, and tea. 

Food in general is a good time for me in Korea. I like Korean cuisine. I went to market day, which happens twice a month in Icheon, with my co-teacher a couple weeks back, and my oh my, such a vibrant atmosphere. My co moved at lighting speed through the stalls, speaking about the different foods and making suggestions on what to buy. I love shopping and having conversations with her -- she's one of the smartest and funniest people I know.

The bars of soap in public bathrooms are laughable to an American foreigner because they are incredibly clever. First off, it's lucky to find soap in a public bathroom, and when it's bar soap, it just about makes my day. Extended on a metal bar, it floats in the air waiting for you to furbish those dirty hands. I smile mischievously every time I use one -- something about it being such a good idea (think about the life span of a bar of soap and how much less messy it is than liquid soap) and the Koreans, even though they fund the bar soap on a metal bar, not even knowing how brilliant it is. Best kept secret in Korea if you ask me. 

I love seeing an elderly Korean woman outside shoveling snow. I love seeing that old Korean man sprint across the street, not worried about falling and breaking a hip. And as much as I hate how crass and rude ahhgummas can be, I admit I love that they treat the world so brutally. I love hiking up mountains, out of breath, only to be passed by Koreans who are obviously a hundred years old, jammin out to music on their walkmans. I love seeing that life and vitality in people I can't help but think saw the last of the dinosaurs. Crinkled and wise, it motivates me and makes me excited for the wrinkles.  

Overall, I like my life in Korea. I like the song my laundry machine plays when the load is clean. I like floor heating and how fast my electric tea pot boils water. I like the walk to school with the mountains and farmland. I like slowly learning a new language, which lets me read snippets of the signs and posters around me. Hangul really is a beautiful writing system, the characters and strokes. I am happy and that's the thing I love most about Korea: that living here gives me so much perspective on the small things as well as the big, macro, philosophical things. It's great for me because I'm consantly thinking about impact, points of. 

Grinds My Gears

Every day life is different in Korea. Was expected and I like filtering frustrations into learning opportunities. Sometimes I feel that in doing so, I'm molding and broadening my worldview. Other times, it's just the realization that we are different. People and societies and traffic laws are simply different. There's not much more than that hard truth for certain things. 

Still, what really grind my gears: everything and anything I say gets amplified and thrown back at me in some way or other. 

"I like hiking." I am glad I put this out there. It gave me a chance to learn the walking route to school and connect with some of the other teachers. However, it has also resulted in many unexpected and assuming situations, including some very aggressive hand-holding, which as an introvert is difficult. I'm a flexible person but I admit these extra encounters can be exhausting for my social skills. And at least three times a day, I'm asked, "Morning walking?" by various teachers. Yes, I walk to school every day. It's ludicrous what an arbitrary statement, "I like hiking," is back home when compared to how it has fared in Korea.

"My mom's a pastor," when asked if I was a Christian. Religion is not as private a matter as it is in the States I was warned, but I really wish I had known the consequences of my answer. I was open and honest about my religious experiences, and though I understand that its not considered prying in Korea, I was probed. My words opened a flood gate of visits from various people from the Principal's church at school and some guilting tactics including, "Your mom is sad you don't go to church" and "I was like you; I was wild and irresponsible." Nope. 

"I don't have a laptop," when asked why I was staying late to finish a powerpoint. For a while I thought I might score a new computer for my apartment out of this -- my co-teacher said she thought that that was part of the contract: the school would provide a laptop computer. Tie a string on my finger, I should bring that up again. A couple of weeks later I'm opening my bank account, and I tell my co-teacher that I want online or Internet banking so I can transfer money home. "Why do you need that?? You don't have a computer! You don't need Internet banking," my co-teacher shoots back at me. She was visibly annoyed and dramatic, yes, I felt a bit betrayed. She speaks English so well that I had started letting my guard down around her. I still think she thinks it was a waste of time, but I did explain that STUDENT LOANS. 

"I'm from Wisconsin; it's very cold there." This came up just today, which has inspired this post. My co-teacher bursts through the classroom doors and exclaims, "I wish you were from Hawaii." Apparently, the Principal, in coherence with Korea's obsession with conserving energy, argued that we could save energy by not heating the English room, because I don't need it, "I'm from Wisconsin." Foot in my mouth, I've been freezing my ass off for the past month because I said that it's cold in Wisconsin? A couple of things here: first, you could conserve a boat load of energy by keeping the doors to the school closed instead of gaping open for winter to blow through the hallways and classrooms. Second, arrrrggggg. 

I like to say that that's Korea. And it has been but there's a second language at play here. My thoughts are that what can be understood is taken to heart. Everything I say that can be understood even on the smallest level by the teachers and other staff at my school has such importance. Any hint of information is used for every "relevant" matter. And they listen to me. A sure sign that they care about me; I recognize that. Still, heat the English room please.

Stick Day

Stick Day and my school's English Festival fell on the same day this year. Stick Day or, November 11th (11-11) was described to me as Korea's very own Valentine's Day. Stick candy, or pepero, is the star of Stick Day -- "smooth chocolate attached to the fragrant biscuit."

I mistook the boxes and boxes of this stick candy at school for part of the English Festival festivities, and dare I say it was good planning that the two collided onto the same day (haha, planning in Korea). But the kids' moods were sugar-happy for the English Festival, which had been a hugely stressful two week process for me and my co-teacher.

So thank you, tasteless biscuit sticks dipped in chocolate. And Happy Korean Valentine's Day, all. I <3 you.

What a day: Walking, Talking, and an Unexpected Party

**This post is from a while back, early October -- got lost in the muddle of things. It's all about housecleaning today :D

Refreshed from the holiday (i.e. day off from school), I got tons of lesson planning done and I got to listen to and watch, through the window, the students at Doam practice a dance for the upcoming sports day. Who I presume was the phy ed teacher chanted into the loudspeaker as the kids danced their hearts out to a Korean song that belongs in a Wes Anderson film. It was so fun. The kids were loving being outside and I couldn't help but root for run through after run through; I could've listened to the sounds of sports day practice all day.

After lunch, Sin Hyeon Gyeong asked if I wanted to go for a walk. We walked around the school grounds, including the playground. Students were playing soccer, swinging, jumping on equipment, riding bikes, and chattering away. I told Sin Hyeon Gyeong that I wished I could go back to elementary school. We laughed about getting older -- queasy stomachs after swinging and "mom" worries. She has two boys so her mom worries are real, mine just sympathetic and about my little brothers. But her attitude about those worries are right on. She told me, "I tell them to be safe. If you want to climb high into a tree, take the time to get down." She is the coolest. 

We also talked about Hangul and King Sejong. He was a good king, a good man, and he invented a writing and reading system that works. Korea has an illiteracy rate that is essentially zero. That stat was particularly astounding to me when I first learned about it. I'm not exactly sure why, but I could better understand why it was perfect to take a day off from school to celebrate. To celebrate Hangul, what it means to and what it gives to the Korean people, and to honor a good king who was also a good man. The pride runs deep in Korea. I greatly love and admire that.

After school, I had sort of an unexpected party. Two days before the holiday, I was finally able to walk "home" with the second grade teacher. We had made plans to do this during my first week of school after she discovered I liked hiking and that we lived in the same area. She speaks some English (quite well) but with my lack of knowing Korean, our conversation was limited yet pleasant. We talked about the upcoming holiday, hiking (at Bukhansan and Mount Yongmun), and the various "things" around us. She would point to something and say what is was in Korean and then I'd say what it was in English. When we made it to her house, she generously invited me inside and we ate dinner -- water kimchi, kimchi, rice, and soup (delicious).

This successful walk and talk led to a visit to my apartment. I knew for sure that it was going to be the second grade teacher and the President of the school. Now, this is something that would have made me mildly uncomfortable in America -- having such a respected teacher and the President of the school coming over to my house. But being in Korea, I'm like, "Come on down!! You're the next visitor to my tiny apartment!" Totally unfazed. It wasn't until we arrived at my apartment that I realized two other teachers from my school would also be joining us -- for a small church service. Five people. In my apartment. Again, bring it on, Korea.

However unexpected, it was a great experience. We sang a hymn, they asked me where my English Bible was (um, in America), and they brought traditional house-warming gifts of tissues, laundry detergent, and bottled grape juice. The President showed us pictures of her sister's family, who live in America, and they enjoyed looking at the pictures I have taped to the walls. We went out for dinner at a place just up the street from my apartment. Rice, fish, kimchi, soup, rice water, and loads of other Korean side dishes I can't name. As we were saying out fare-thee-wells, I was asked about my hip size, which I think may translate into a shopping excursion one of these days. Who knows haha. 

What a day. Full of company and honest conversation. 

Hiking Times -- Mt. Yongmun

This hike was a while back, but it remains fresh in my mind:

The commute to Mount Yongmun was nervous and long. Past the regular subway line, the rail is less predictable and less frequent. After three hours, I was prematurely exhausted and ready to turn around. But with friends waiting and the growing need to hike, I found my way. The moment I stepped off the bus, the last leg of the trip, it was all worth it. 

Leading up to the moutain and temples is a small village, is how I can best describe it. Restaurants that open up into the street, shops brimming with small gifts, and food carts selling typical Korean fried goodness and meat sticks greet the eye. It was so colorful and pleasing to alll my senses. Lanterns lined the path up to the main attraction: the temples and some 1,500 year old Gingko tree, the oldest and largest in Korea. 

The hike was challenging and thus, the dinner afterwards was that much more delicious. I had the staple Korean dish called bibimbap 비빔밥. Served in a bowl, rice, various vegetables, and a protein sit side-by-side and are topped with a poached egg. Mix-it yourself and bottomless chili paste later, pure happiness. 

Flowers arranged in the shape of the Gingko tree leaf

Whale Win

Successful whale project:

Cute whale pod

Lazy Sunday & New Downloads

Well, it's Sunday: slept in until 8:30am, read in bed until 11, cleaned the bathroom, grilled up a garlic-jam-grilled cheese sammy, simmered a mixture on the stove to drown the fruit flies (milk sugar, pepper, & dish soap), ironed candle wax out of a pair of jeans, did some laundry, hung said laundry, took a nap, and "looked" over lesson plans for the upcoming week. Yet alas, I never get as much done as I want. I always have such high hopes for the weekend -- but meh, the weekend is supposed to be chill, right?

Downloaded a couple of new songs -- big fan of Bastille and Justin Timberlake right now. Read this article on Buzzfeed about wear-to-work sweatshirts and I come home from Itaewon with four new "sweatshirts" I can wear to work. Pretty cute stuff and each only cost me 5,000 won (less than 5 dollars). I love Korean-made clothes. Cheap and made for my Asian frame. 

"Project Free TV" came up this weekend when talking to friends about the new "Scandal" season (Kerry Washington and Fitz love). My sister is a huge fan and I know that a lot of people use it but I hate what it stands for. And that name makes me cringe. The entitlement and lack of respect. I dunno, there's a lot of work that goes into every second of every TV show, movie, music video... into visual media. The number of people, too, behind every project is huge. I think it's mostly the name that bothers me. TV scheduling and revenue isn't part of my expertise; it's just a general feeling I have. That's why when I'm ready, I don't mind paying for a couple new songs on iTunes or paying for a movie ticket to watch a movie the way filmmakers imagined it.

My Students

"Where is your textbook?"

"My grandma burned it."

Little did I know, this was a legitimate excuse which honestly should not have surprised me. Old Korean women have strong personalities and see no need for English. Korean households are more often than American households multi-generational, or simply, the grandparents raise their grand kids. So, when a grandma sees a book filled with English, naturally she tears it up and burns it in the fire. That was one of the funnier discussions I've had with my co-teacher. I mean, of course she tore it up and burned it. It's absolutely hilarious because it's true. For shame, "My dog ate my homework." You're not funny and even if you were true, we all know you force fed that dog like a fois gras goose.

Teaching has been a challenge. For third through sixth grade, I teach out of a textbook and accompanying CD that gets projected onto the touch screen. I think I could do my job better if the school didn't use those books. When I was in between co-teachers, there was a day that I taught by myself and without the book CD because it had gone rogue. It was by far the best day of teaching. I used the board and taught the material. I hadn't realized how much I had already begun to rely on the book activities.

I'm 99% sure "No Zoo" is the only
English phrase this student knows
-- Great sense humor

Unfortunately, disregarding the book is not an option, and I do see how it is working -- the students know English. Their levels vary, but regardless they make the effort and are able to talk to me. Those are precious moments; before and after class, having a bunch of students crowd around my desk and ask me how old I am and what I like to eat and telling me their names. That's a win in my book and perhaps a win for the textbook. I've also always prided myself on being able to work magic within boundaries. However, it's hard. Teaching is hard. Teaching Korean kids is hard. Some days, I just wish someone would take me up and pull a, "You poor, poor girl." 

Hypothetical pity parties help shift my focus to the kids themselves. They are so great and have such big personalities; they are worth everything to me as a teacher. It is such a joy to see what they create and how they apply what they have learned. The first and second graders especially surprise me with their incredible minds, because I've turned into an adult and seem to have forgotten how quick and witty kids are. I'm so proud of them all and I love-love-love their work.

Relaxing Weekend in Seoul

Hot Americano so fine

This weekend turned out to be very nice. A few of us decided to stay overnight in Seoul at a hostel, and there was shopping, sushi, Issac Toast, slow-drip coffee, and a phenomenal french toast breakfast (second breakfast if we're getting technical). The hostel stay was superb. I've never stayed at a hostel before but this one - Backpackers Inside - was really something comfortable. Great atmosphere, cool staff (cool like I wanted to be friends with the guy), an amazingly soft bed, and an amazingly comfy comforter. It was perfect.

I think what I enjoyed most was taking it easy with other people. It's one thing to crash at my apartment by myself but therapeutic to do the same with friends. The hostel has this main room with a couch and other seating -- probably one of my favorite moments from the weekend was chilling in there for about an hour. Light guitar playing, talking about students and school, and I flipped through one of the guestbooks, which had messages and drawings from the hostel's worldly occupants. That was neat to look through.

Sunday morning, we grabbed some breakfast from the conveniently located (ten steps from the hostel) Issac Toast stand. I got a ham-cheese Issac Toast, which is basically a ham and cheese egg sandwich. Everything is processed - white bread, fake cheese, spam-ham - but mouthwatering good. About halfway through, I discovered corn had been mixed in with the egg. Keeping me on my toes, Korea.

Second breakfast happened because we had planned on eating at the french toast place (250° Celsius) the night before but it wasn't open when we had wanted (needed) to eat. We were chatting outside the doors when it opened for the day. Two of our group departed for the Rail Bike and three of us stayed behind, sipped on tea, and fangirled over the fancy china tea cups and good music selection. I split the french toast platter, which came with bananas, whipped cream, sausage, salad, and homemade yogurt. Delish.

Anne & Rebecca with fancy tea 

Haven't had good bread
for a while -- amazing

Korea World

The first questions:

1. How old are you?
2. Are you married?
3. Do you have a boyfriend?

I was prepared for these, but as a twentysomething already dealing mentally with the expectations of age, I really don't care for them. And these initial questions come so abruptly to an expat from America, right after, "What is your name?" Being asked by elementary-aged kids only adds to the awkwardness. What's it to you, ya cute little munchkins? But it's honestly no more comfortable when the president of the school or the other teachers ask me, so meh -- it's a personal thing.

I understand sizing a person up on a first meeting. It's natural, but in Korea, age and marriage status is really important. Superficially, I think the Koreans would like me better if I did have a boyfriend or a husband because it fits into their understandings and expectations of a young woman in her twenties. And I'm not offended nor do I wish the social system was different; my priorities are simply more well-rounded.

Priorities aside, I would gladly say, "Yes!" to having a boyfriend or husband if it were true because that's the answer that makes the most sense in the current culture. I am indeed a yes man in Korea because it comes in handy at school for haggling vacation time; plus, I'm learning and experiencing more new things. It puts me in good situations and in a better position as an expat because in general, the Koreans really like showing and teaching you things. They are proud of Korea and of being Korean and their knowledge of such runs deep.

There is an extra enthusiasm the more "Korean" one is, which I find interesting and a little endearing. One of my friends speaks Korean very well at an intermediate-advanced level. I've witnessed joyous conversations and "service" (or free) food on the discovery that she speaks Korean. She has what sounds like the best talks -- everybody loves her. I admit, I feel a twinge of jealousy. I wish I could interact with the Koreans like that.

On the flip side, I am Korean. I was born in Seoul, but I am also an American that doesn't know a lick of the language beyond the bare basics. It was hugely confusing for the teachers and students at my school when I first started. One the teachers kept saying over and over, "You have a Korean face, you have a Korean face." My adviser back in Wisconsin told me that the Koreans don't openly talk about adoption for personal reasons. Personal reasons being that they would care for and raise their children if they could, and when they know they can't -- it's very personal. It took a couple of days for everyone to understand that I was a new foreigner English teacher, not a new Korean English teacher.

Being Korean is "more Korean." There's no grand special treatment, but it counts towards the Korean pride of all things Korean. For sure, people assume I speak the language, which has made me feel a little guilty. It's just the way it is. Maybe I should've been more interested in learning about my heritage. Truth is, I've always thought it was cool I was born in a different country. But that wasn't part of my life. I am who I am. Pegging a person to know certain things and to be a certain way because of how they look or where they come from maybe proves logical most of the time. But it is not fact.

One night at the bar, this local guy thought it hilarious that I was learning some basic Korean phrases from a friend, who was white. Hilarious in sort of a demeaning way -- I have a hard time in situations like that because I can see why he thought it laughably ironic. It is kind of funny if one starts thinking of "what if." What if I had been raised in Korea; I'd speak Korean and it'd be a silly situation. But that's not how it is. So, come on, guy. My motto: let it go, because the less power to him. The less power to get know someone with an open mind.

Another small detail that's been bothering me: I've said "white people" more times than I have ever cared to. It's strange because it's been slipping out in sort of embarrassingly distasteful ways. I think, it has to do with my confusion on how to label myself. I've never really given my race much thought past the "check your ethnicity" box on surveys and forms, but here in Korea I don't look like a expat; I look like a Korean. Sometimes, I like that. I like disappearing in the crowd; other times, I don't like it, mostly because it requires more talking (explaining). The grass is always greener. Not being fully "white" or fully "Korean" can be befuddling, because, put simply, race does play a factor in everyday life in country as homogeneous as Korea. Ignoring or denying that would be inefficient and untrue. It is an ongoing effort to process everything and it's been more interesting than anything, navigating the fine lines. 

"Korea World" can be very assuming. A term coined by a friend, she works with high schoolers and she tells them, "You know, outside of "Korea World," things are different." Straight up, they know that of course, but being surrounded by people who look the same and have the same palette for food and speak the same language can in ways limit perspective. I've found myself taken aback at the things I do that surprise the teachers at school. I'm also a little bit shocked at how surprised they are when I don't understand something they do. At times, I wish there'd be a little more give. 

It is a different circumstance for both parties. One of my greatest motivations for wanting to teach in Korea for a year was to learn and see new things. However, for the teachers, this is their home - where they grew up and where their families live. There is a different mind-set and with that, a different level of conscious openess. When I see something that seems completely crazy, I swallow it with an understanding that I'm in a different country. Talking about it later with friends always helps decode the situation or at least not feel alone. 

Humor and laughter have been my saving grace on the hard days. Some shit is funny because it's funny. So many good laughs with new friends, my co-teacher, the other teachers at school, and especially my students. Just on Friday, the fifth grade class hamster went missing -- escaped from his cage (UGH, WHY). I think some of the boys sensed my abhorrence for that situation because they started coming up to me with their hands cupped saying, "Hamster, hamster," and then quickly opening them to reveal nothing. It got my heart beat up. Very funny, right? I was finally over that when the last boy came up and said, "Hamster find, hamster find," and no warning, shoved into my face, THE HAMSTER. I may have screamed and I may have tripped over my own feet. It was so funny. 
x

Teacher Abby

Finally took some pictures of my classroom!

My desk

Down the hallway

Makes me happy

The food in Korea is good. Like really good for my body. I'd say it took me a week or so to start craving kimchi simply because it fills a void in my stomach I never knew I had. Kimchi, like all the Korean food I've had, isn't scarfed, guzzled, or stuffed down. It might be shoved, slurped, and curled in seaweed but in excess? Never. One is a belchful full, but I've found that I stop when I am satisfied. I'm not tempted to eat more than I need to.

Attribute that to the absence of the salt and sugars found in meals in America and the addition of fresh vegtables (mushrooms, onions, raddishes, cabbage...), beans of lots of variety, rice, and fish. I'd say Korean food is about nourishment of the body, mind, and soul. 

Watching the teachers eat at school is my favorite show. They eat incredibly fast -- something I read about but an observation I happily share with my new co-teacher (she also thinks they eat quickly). One day, we were served chicken wings, like the ones at Quaker Steak & Lube. And you bet I waited to see how they would handle that situation; they used their chopsticks. They picked them up and so beautifully ate those wings. I wish I could paint a painting that could capture that moment of grace. So I followed suit and hey, didn't do so badly. It's in my blood after all. 

Lunch at school is one of my favorite activities to do in Korea. Such a routine and natural thing, but I really enjoy the surprise and hope for what is served. Sin Hyeon Gyeong, my new co-teacher, and I head down around noon after our last normal class of the day, and being teachers and all, float up to the front of the line. I grab my "teacher" metal lunch tray, spoon, and metal chopsticks and move along the line. First comes the kimchi and the spicy vegetable-sometimes-pineapple stop (the pineapple happened once!). Then comes the rice stop - white rice, rice with flecks of beans, fancy rice that's seasoned up. Next comes the soup stop - soup everyday and everyday a different soup. I'm starting to love and need my soup. Last comes what I like to call the "this makes me happy" stop. This is where you get the chicken wings. The "corn dog." The "sweet and sour chicken." The protein and the familiar. Everything is a little different in Korea, including milk, gum, and popcorn, but the glimmer of familiar is enough and it's so good. 

Pushy Seoul

A group of people from my program have been taking Korean language classes in Seoul for five weeks now. They invited me along this past Saturday and with the class costing 1,000 won (less than a dollar) per class, I'm planning on a weekly trip to Seoul -- which is fine by me. I like Seoul; in a city of ten million, there's millions of things to see and do. And there are millions of people to gawk at.

There is also something neat about the fact that I was born in Seoul. It's one of those odd feelings that I can only describe as romantic. It's poetic but more straight cut than poetry. It doesn't feel like "I've come to the mothership" or anything like that. It's simply Seoul, the city and culture I was born into. 

After class, a few of us decided to go to the big fireworks show right outside the Yeouido subway station. With themed segements representing different countries - France and Cananda being two of them - the fireworks supposedly lasted for over an hour. My favorite part was the festival food. There were whole chickens rotisserie-style for 6,000 won, fried everything, and corn on the cob that tasted like the kernels were infused with rice. Rice is a main dish in Korea, but I don't know how they did that to the corn. Once the fireworks started, I really enjoyed watching the general reaction. It was as if the Koreans had never seen fireworks before. I mean, there were kids rightfully freaking out (one boy sitting on his dad's shoulders was pounding his little fists on his dad's head over and over in his excitement). But there were adults talking quickly in Korean with intermitant booming, imitating the fireworks. It was adorable. 

That being said, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE. As one is in a different country, I'm glad I went. But I may just avoid major events like that in Seoul ever again. Or just make plans to spend the night and wait out the crowd. Walking into the festival grounds was an experience because the sheer number of people really got to me. Got to me in the sense that wow, there are a shit ton of people in this world, and I'm walking with ALL of them. It was like we were folllowing Moses into the promised land. Everyone heading for the same place. But getting home was a nightmare. We thought we would be fine leaving after the first segment of fireworks. And it might have been okay had the subway traffic been more organized and less pushy. 

I'm not sure if Seoul thought this fireworks festival was going to draw far less people than it did, but there needed to be a team of police dedicated to subway traffic control. It honestly would have been as simple as having a police "bouncer" outside the subway entrance to regulate the number of people going into the station. But they didn't and it was literally a suffocating experience. It took over a hour to get through a space that normally would have taken a few minutes. It wasn't the time that made me so angry but the pushing. We got down there, and there was no turning around. Koreans just shoving us into the crowd. It was completely unnecessary and excalated the situation into a trampling news-like story. There were families with really young kids that I was genuinely scared for. The kids were just wailing because it was so hot and they were getting pushed into -- it was not okay.

It changed my perspective a little bit about Koreans as a people. They are reasonable and polite; however, that experience was stupid. It made me recognize the selfishness and desperation that resides in all people when trying to catch a late night subway.  

I was trying to imagine if this would've happened in Paris or NYC, the other two cities I've been to with subways. It could most definitely. But would people push and shove like that? I can only hope not. 

First Trip to Seoul

Figuring out the bus from Icheon to Seoul was probably the most frustrating experience I've had so far. It was the most frustrating because I let myself get angry at the language barrier. The Icheon Bus Terminal is completely in Korean. The "English" website for the Terminal is most useless. The English help line was asking for my reservation number and when I said I just needed to buy a ticket, the girl said, "Oh. Sorry." Hang up. The tellers don't speak English and I was counting on friendly Koreans to help me. But as my friend from my program later pointed out, not everyone had the day off and a lot of people were probably heading to work and in a less helpful mood.

But there was this one girl. In her twenties. Pink sweater and looking like she might speak English. I'm like, "Oh yeah, she's the one to save the day." I could not have been any more wrong. She was SO rude. I just wanted to rip that pink sweater to pieces. It was a Scarlet O'Hara moment if I've ever had one. 

One eye-opening fb convo with the previous native English teacher later, I realized that all I needed to do was take any bus to Seoul; then, the subway would take me where I needed to go (duh). I'd been focusing too much on the specifics. So, I bought a ticket and honestly didn't know if I got on the right bus. But I did. And then I hiked up a mountain. It was a fantastic day. Subway love. 

Foods

The Shellfish Place

This was amazing. This shellfsh restaurant is just a few blocks from my apartment. It was "rammed" when we got there, because it's a very popular local place. Split six ways, it was only about 9,000 won ($8.00) for the whole meal, which included soup, cheese and corn (pictured above), and the pile of shellfish, shrimp, and octopus (also pictured above). Can't figure out the cheese and corn. 

Market Area just off Walking Street 

This is a view of the "market" area on walking street. Jam packed with Koreans on plastic chairs at 11:00PM on a week night. It's a really great place to get Korean eats. 

Ddeokbokki (쫄볶이) -- pounded rice

My new co-teacher and I were returning from Suwon and she spontaneously stoped at two different food stands. First, we ate these really delicious meat buns, called mandu (dumplings), which were a familiar tasty. No picture because I scarfed them down. Steamed, they don't look like much - they're this pasty white color - but do they ever pack the flavor. I think they come in chicken and beef and are Western-texture friendly. At the second stop we got ddeokbokki (쫄볶이) pictured above. Really popular in Korea, whole restaurants are dedicated to making only this dish. I believe it's some kind of pounded rice. Packaged to-go and eaten with noodles and a glass of milk handy, I enjoyed it. 

Lightbulbs, Icheon, & Ceramics

It was such a high buying lightbulbs. I just got home from school via walking with the science teacher (yes, no more heart-wrenching, panic attack morning bus rides for me) and having received my settlement money, my stomach was full of freshly made stir fry. Plus, my "kitchen" is now the brightest part of my apartment. 

This past weekend was chill but a lot of fun. I met some of the other expats at the local "foreigner" bar on Friday. Turns out there's a small community of about thirty of us in Icheon. It's nice to know there are English-speaking friends around. And there was talk of having a barbeque one of these weekends, which I am ALL ABOUT. 

It's a mixed group of people; there's a strong Wisconsin presence woooo (which is how I got introduced -- thanks, Jessica!) as well as people from South Africa, California, and the UK. The guy from the UK, no lie, looks like Daniel Radcliffe's (aka Harry Potter's) twin. I've been crushing pretty hard on that accent. Since most of them (or all of them) have been in Icheon for a year and a half, it's been really helpful just hanging out with them and seeing how they order food and buy things (if you don't know what a food is called in Korean, just make the English word sound Korean: waffle cone = wah-pple cone). And hearing about their experiences has been hilarious. 

The Ceramics Festival started this past weekend, and wow. I have found my happy place in Icheon. The Ceramics Village, or Ceramia, which is either part of Seolbong Park or right next to it, has grounds that are simple, playful, and elegant. Located "where the mountain and water meet," it's a really breathtaking area. The style, look, and feel of Ceramia does remind me a bit of my home in Wisconsin with ceramic sculptures and art pieces incorporated into the landscape and the numerous walking trails. It's a very honest and intuitive design. I like it a lot.

Complete with everything you could need, including convenience stores, several performance stages, a traditional tea house, The Modern Ceramics Museum, The Icheon City Museum, art studios (glassblowing, ceramics), and the biggests kilns I have ever seen (whole firing rooms), Ceramia truly is a kind of utopia. 

Sitting amongst the ceramics

Painted details

A pottery mascot -- that little guy in the green was flipping out. He was running around the pot, laughing, screeching. Probably one of the funniest-cutest moments in Korea thus far.

Food tents are more like food restaurants -- real classy, real nice. These woman are making some sort of Korean pancake (jeon).

Kids lining up to have a go with the hammer at what I thought was rice

Resting at the "top" of the hill, near the Modern Ceramics Museum

Archive Room -- really fun design with the hanging books

One of my favorite, though not unseen, exhibitions -- pop & advertising culture done in ceramics

The lunches are good!

It's the end of my first full week of school, and I'm finally feeling like I've at least caught up with the slowest runner in the pack. I still have tons to learn about not necessary managing a classroom but definitely some of that combined with knowing how to engage a classroom. It's been a sprint right from the start with open classes and knowing that my co-teacher Moonee would be leaving (leaving tomorrow actually) to be a mother : )

I've already experienced the last-second changes of the Korean school systems with classes being switched and cancelled and appointments being pushed back, pushed forward, and put back on the dime. The students call me "teacher" and love to wave and shout, "Hello!" to me in the hallways. School lunches actually aren't that bad -- I know that the quality is much lower than what one gets at a restaurant and in a Korean home, but all the fresh vegetables and a variety of sides at every meal is something I've started to really enjoy and look forward to. And I do feel like a regular Clark, eating rice every day.

Ah and all the fruit I've eaten in Korea - grapes, plums, and little oranges - SO GOOD. Bursting with flavor and given to me randomly and unexpectedly at school. It's a real treat. I also get a small carton of milk every morning, deducted enthusiastically from my paycheck. 

I made a powerpoint before I left Wisconsin to introduce myself. I included pictures of my family, Bucky-themed Wisconsin, and my hobbies. It's proved really nice to have, especially that one time I thought a teacher had invited me to her house for dinner because she saw I liked hiking. It'd be about an hour walk or hike from Doam Elementary to my apartment and her home. I thought maybe it was a right of passage but Moonee's reaction when I told her what I thought told me I was wrong. And yep, nope. Walk together and go to separate homes. We laugh about the miscommunication, though for different reasons I think.

The level of English in each class varies sometimes drastically from student to student. But overall, I have been quite surprised at how much they know and understand. It's really impressive. One of the little second grade girls asked me, "How are you feeling today?" Another student in the fifth grade class asked me, "Teacher, you said you are from Wisconsin? I lived in Colorado." 

Teaching in an elementary school is different and new. I love the organizational challenge of teaching six different grades, some of which are made up of two classes. Like decorating for Christmas, it's stressful. But once I get everything set-up, hung, and the lights work, hopefully, it'll have the power to stand up to the energy and laughs of the students. 

The Walking City

I feel lucky being placed where I am. It's a stereotypical feeling, but I think the city of Icheon and Doam Elementary itself serves my personality and needs well. It's true that Icheon has proved to be quite the walking city. I love that I'm seven minutes away from downtown Icheon, near the shopping district, as well as Icheon's biggest park, Seolbong Park. 

One view of Seolbongho Lake in Seolbong Park

Roughly the size of Madison, Wisconsin (200,000), Icheon is known for its ceramics, to-die-for rice, and hot springs. I could potentially spend a day at the spa and then hit the potter's wheel and throw a pot (I've actually read about such day-packages). My kind of day, my kind of life. 

Arriving right before the holiday worked out wonderfully. I got a little lonely because the city (at least where I was) cleared out for Chuseok. Moonee said that all the teachers were extremely worried about me -- there just weren't a lot of people around if I needed help. And food. As I was finishing my first meal in Korea at a traditional Korean Restaurant on my arrival day, the co-teacher said, "This is your last supper." He was making a joke. Many restaurants and shops were closed over the holiday, which started the day after.

My first-last supper. Intense in the best way.

But I survived, and I explored. Taking everything in and absorbing all the landmarks to help my navigation system was important. Putting myself in those horribly impossible but somehow workable language barrier situations - ordering coffee, explaining to the Koreans who assume I speak Korean that I don't (Mee ah hahm nee dah. Ah nyoe Korean. American **points to chest**), asking bus drivers about their stops, and buying T-money (a bus pass essentially) - was a good way to forget inhibitions and simply go about my days. The language can only get easier and boy, can Korea get any prettier?

My first view of Korea outside the airport, through the car window.

Not looking my best and brightened in post -- Outside the Korean restaurant where I ate my first Korean meal.

A look down Walking Street -- I like the circle made by the sewer top, entrance, lid (?)

Landscape art -- It took me getting closer to figure out what "they" were...

Potter's wheel and really beautiful ceramic pots

View of the city from Seolbong Park -- I really liked all the blue roofs.

Near the entrance of Ceramia (Seolbong Park) -- Where the mountain and water meet.